Screens Aglow, Hearts Unite! China-Cambodia, Bonded Tight!

Screens Aglow, Hearts Unite! China-Cambodia, Bonded Tight!

Xiamen, Fujian, China - Cambodia Film Week

A New Chapter in Cultural Exchange

On April 17, the 2025 "Chinese Film Week" in Cambodia officially opened in Phnom Penh. During the event, China and Cambodia signed the "Memorandum of Understanding on Film Cooperation between the China Film Administration and the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts." Both sides will enhance film collaboration through increased screenings, joint productions, personnel exchanges, and festival/exhibition participation so that new momentum will be injected into the development of cultural cooperation and the high-level advancement of bilateral relations between the two countries.

In recent years, Huli District has established close ties with Cambodia in film exchanges. In the years 2023 and 2024, the Publicity Department of the CPC Huli District Committee and the organizing committee of the Cambodia Asia Film Festival collaborated to host two sessions of China-Cambodia Film Cultural Exchange Week. Using the medium of cinema as a bond, these events fostered a bridge for cross-cultural communication between the two nations, infusing dynamic cultural energy into the "Belt and Road" Initiative. Let's take a look back at some of the moments.

Film: A Medium for Mutual Exchange 

In 2023

Four acclaimed Cambodian films, including "Jail Break" and "Father," drew over a thousand viewers to their screenings in Huli District. The creative teams behind these films were invited to engage in post-screening Q&As, offering Cambodia's film culture from multiple perspectives.

A "China-Cambodia Film Masters Dialogue Forum" was also held, where industry professionals from both countries exchanged views on film production, talent cultivation, and broader cinematic collaboration.

In 2024

Fujian films like "Love Across the Strait" and "Lucky Strike" premiered in Phnom Penh, while Cambodian films "Turn Left Turn Right" and "Dream Land" screened in Xiamen. The reciprocal screenings enjoyed a strong audience turnout with over 80% attendance. During the event, a special exhibition area was set up in Phnom Penh's cinemas, displaying the beautiful scenery and unique culture of Xiamen's Huli District to the Cambodian audience.

A themed sharing salon was also held during the Film Week, where industry professionals from both China and Cambodia engaged in in-depth discussions on the topic of "Aesthetic Differences Between Chinese and Cambodian Audiences and Innovations in Film Content," exploring more possibilities for cooperation between the film industries of the two countries.

Collaborative Opportunities: In-depth Discussion

Mr. Te Soksey, Deputy Director-General of the APSARA National Authority, introduced the Angkor Wat exterior filming base, thoroughly examining the possibility of establishing a collaborative mechanism for on-location film and television production.

Cultural Exchange: Enriching Outcomes

As part of the 2023 Film Week, a special exhibition titled "Painting Narratives: China-Cambodia Images" highlighted Cambodian cultural artistry, including traditional costumes, wood carvings, and silver sculptures. Complementing this were exhibitions of contemporary art with trendy toys and paintings by Chinese artist Lin Yonglin, where artists promoted cultural exchange and interaction between the two countries through creative cultural interaction.

During the 2024 Film Week, the Royal Traditional Ensemble of Cambodia delivered the country's unique cultural charm through captivating folk music performances. In the China-Cambodia film culture flash event, bands from both countries jointly performed traditional songs, while a vibrant flash market featured distinctive Cambodian cultural products, attracting nearly ten thousand local residents who stopped to watch.

The two sessions of film events received high attention from Chinese and Cambodian media, with over 20 million online exposures. In 2023, a Cambodian delegation led by H.E. Hab Touch, First Secretary of State of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, visited Xiamen's key cultural landmarks and jointly filmed a Xiamen check-in vlog to promote Xiamen to the people of both countries. Let's take a look back at some of those memorable moments.

From Phnom Penh's tropical charm to Xiamen's coastal grace,

from ancient Angkor's splendor to modern cinema's embrace,

the China-Cambodia Film Week is more than screens that glow,

but a bridge where hearts and minds connect and grow.

Moving forward, hand in hand,

with film as our binding band,

we'll write new chapters, vibrant and grand,

of a shared future for all humankind.